Fluorescent biomarkers (biological markers) are fluorescent molecules that can be used for detecting a biological state or process, such as a pathogenic state or process or a particular cell or tissue type. Fluorescent biomarkers can for example be used for detecting diseases such as cancer. The fluorescent molecules can be injected into a patient or a biological sample and accumulate at the cancerous site. When irradiated with excitation light, the fluorescent molecules produce light emission of a predefined wavelength. Thus, cancerous tissue can be localized by localization of the fluorescent signal. However, the fluorescent signal can be difficult to detect, especially in a surgical environment which requires strong lighting.
US 2011/0082369 discloses an apparatus for displaying medical images during minimally invasive surgery. The apparatus is aimed at improving the clinical utility of the simultaneous display of a white light image of tissue and an enhanced image of tissue which has been made imageable e.g. by injection with fluorescing or emitting biomarker. The apparatus comprises a display device which displays a desaturated image of tissue and a color enhanced image combined with the desaturated image. The relative brightness between the desaturated image and the color enhanced image is set to provide improved information content.
However, there remains a need in the art for improved means of detecting fluorescent molecules, especially fluorescent biomarkers, not least in surgical environments.